Taipei [Taiwan], July 4 : The US State Department said on Thursday that it is closely monitoring the status of a seized Taiwanese fishing boat by China and its crew, Taiwan News reported.
This comes after the Chinese coast guard boarded and seized Da Jin Man No. 88 and detained its crew on July 2.
A US State Department spokesperson told CNA it is monitoring the situation and encouraging both parties to "maintain open lines of communication" to resolve the matter peacefully.
The Taiwanese boat was intercepted by two Chinese coast guard ships 43.89 km (23.7 NM) northeast of Liaoluo Bay in Kinmen and taken to Fujian's Weitou Port. Two Taiwanese and three Indonesians were on board the fishing vessel, as reported by Taiwan News.
The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said on Wednesday that the incident occurred within Chinese waters. The CGA also said it would request relevant authorities to advise the fishing associations to avoid operating in these waters during China's summer fishing moratorium.
CGA Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin said that follow-up negotiations with China would be handled through the Mainland Affairs Council and the Fisheries Agency. Hsieh called for the release of the crew and boat.
However, China's Taiwan Affairs Office claimed the vessel's seizure was an act of "normal law enforcement" and the relevant departments would handle it per laws and regulations.
Earlier in the day, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) has said that it detected 30 Chinese military aircraft and 8 naval vessels operating near its territory from 6 am (local time) on Wednesday and 6 am (local time) on Thursday.
According to Taiwan's MND, 19 of the Chinese military aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern, and southeastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). In response to China's action, Taiwan sent aircraft, and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor China's military activity, Taiwan News reported.
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